Brave New World Opinion

Contemporary social critic Neil Postman asserted that Aldous Huxley, the author of Brave New World, did not fear that society would be overcome by an externally imposed oppression, but that what we love would ruin us. Based on information from Huxley’s novel, Postman was spot on with his statement. In Brave New World, the majority of the non-savages, with the exception of Bernard, never questioned their existence. They embraced belonging to everyone else, and having technology and substances to rely on in order to solve their problems. They enjoyed a life of luxury and convenience, as they were “programmed” to do, and that is where society went wrong. The people of the “Brave New World” were all genetically manufactured to fit into a ruling order. From the intelligent Alpha Plus, to the hardworking Epsilon, none questioned their purpose. Each person was “programmed” in their sleep to live by certain ideals. From the time they were manufactured, they were taught to use a substance called soma to cope with stress or unhappiness. By teaching the people to rely on soma to solve their problems, the leaders of the new world were able to maintain control and continue to do anything that they wished without any or little opposition, and the people loved it. People love to feel good, and soma was a quick method of achieving this feeling. The love for happiness led to their ruin. The people’s love for technology was another downfall. Inventions such as the “Secret Organ” and the “Synthetic Music Machine” were made available to the upper-caste citizens. These machines were used to keep the people’s senses satisfied. Rather than playing music themselves, which would be a form of creativity or thinking, there was a machine for that. The people did not want to think for themselves any more than leaders wanted them to. If the people were thinking more creatively, it could lead to questioning, and the leaders certainly would not want that. This technology, as well as the efficient forms of transportation, was used to keep the people satisfied. If they had everything that they needed, why would they question anything? The convenience and luxury of the new world was an impressive cover-up for what was happening behind the scenes. The people lost all sense of purpose and of individuality. Everyone belonged to everyone, there was no such thing as unhappiness, and almost anything a person would need was a pill or the push of a button away. The new inventions, technology, and the way each person was programmed greatly reduced their ability and reason to think. Simply put, the people were being oppressed and manipulated, and they had no idea. They loved it. It was not a war or a powerful leader that led to the downfall of society. It was the use of technology, and the supplementing of happiness into an easily accessible pill that marked the end. Anyone that did not embrace the changes was identified as a savage, and herded into a reservation. Once the savages were no longer a problem, the new world order could take place. Society was in ruins because of what the people loved.